Choo Choo here comes the D train! Ahahaha, the title of this movie is just too perfect. I enjoyed The D Train very much, especially because of its phenomenal leads Jack Black and James Marsden. Now it’s time for some hard decisions. Butt fuck it, I’m gonna tell you: this is a movie about men exploring their sexuality, much like Brokeback Mountain! Oh, snap! And to see the number of people who were uncomfortable with this is just amazing. This is the reason behind such a low score on the IMDb, that’s currently just 5.0 points. Can you fucking believe it?
Granted, the marketing campaign and the whole vibe surrounding the movie may have been misleading, featuring The D Train as a fun high school reunion comedy. It’s actually very relatable, showing some things we all struggle with. Like how to reconnect with old friends or reexamine where we are in life. Remember folks, these are all appearances in the consciousness and we’re all going to end up dead anyway. So, why not have some while we’re at it.
Meet Dan Landsman, an ordinary guy with an ordinary life who seems to be on a verge of something really enormous. He’s the self-appointed chairman of his high school’s alumni committee, but things are not looking good. Most of the people flat out refused to come to the reunion, while some are having doubts. But don’t despair, Dan Landsman has this figured out and he’s got one name for you: Oliver Lawless, the coolest guy from high school. If he can get him to come, then everybody will…
After a couple of misses and a three-year break, Jack Black is finally back on track with The D Train. Much like in Bernie [2011] he keeps showing us that there’s more to him than just over-the-top gags. This is a movie that deals with really complex issues like sexuality, personality, and life itself, usually leaving the comedy in the shadows. Questioning society’s norms and unwritten rules, it breaks out of the circle and tests hypotheses without much restraint.
They tried to combine seriousness and comedy and the result is rather a strange one because The D Train feels a bit unfinished and overwhelmed by its efforts. Still, this is a unique movie that explores uncharted territories and as such is a refreshing and engaging experience. Especially when you consider the fact that it belongs to the whole reunion subgenre.
Director: Andrew Mogel, Jarrad Paul
Writer: Andrew Mogel, Jarrad Paul
Cast: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor, Denise Williamson, Dermot Mulroney
Fun Facts: The budget for The D Train was just $3.4 million.
Rating:
IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3534602/
